Where Our Eyes are Never Closing
by ObliviousOwlet
Summary: Snapshots of the heroes of San Fransokyo. An archive of one-shots./ Newest one-shot: Happy Birthday, Tadashi! (In-Progress because I intend to add more one-shots as the urge strikes me.)
1. But You Didn't

_**[Hello there! I have decided to make a little archive for my Big Hero 6 one-shots-of which there shall be many. Some of these will be based off of my Scorched AU, so if you have not read that, some future one-shots might not make sense. I will specify beforehand whether a story is part of the Scorched AU or not.**_

 _ **This particular story is based off of the poem 'But You Didn't' by Merrill Glass. It is not part of the Scorched AU, although I suppose it could work there as well.**_

 _ **I hope you enjoy! Please let me know how I did!]**_

* * *

"Tadashi will never find out. It looks fine, I think. It's just a dent."

"Mearp."

"I mean, sure, it isn't _perfect,_ but I certainly could have done a lot worse."

"Me _arp._ "

"Oh, why don't you shut up, Mochi?"

Hiro could have sworn that the calico cat had given him a cold glare before strutting away, tail held straight in the air. He sighed, shaking his head, before returning to the damaged motorcycle. He ran a fingertip along the rough seam and leaned back, groaning. This was going to take a little while to fix, and despite the fact that the younger Hamada was a prodigy, not even he could completely perfect the seam of metal, seamlessly file away the excess metal, and repaint it until it looked almost brand new in the next ten minutes.

For Tadashi would be home at some point in that period of time, and he would have a freakout if he even suspected that his little brother had taken his beloved moped for a joyride… and then totaled it.

 _We can fix this, I just need my-_

There was a soft jingling noise as the door to the cafe opened later than it should ever have. This meant one of two things-someone had figured out how to lockpick and broken in, or Tadashi had arrived.

 _Okay, I guess we're doing this now._

As quickly as he could, Hiro grabbed a tarp and threw it over the damaged vehicle, his palms already beginning to get cold. _Okay, I'll just hide this until he goes to bed, then while he's asleep, I'll fix it. No one has to know, and everything will be just fine. Just-_

"Hiro, would you like to explain to me why GoGo saw you going down the incline at Sixth on my moped?"

 _...Well. This wasn't what I expected._

Hiro slowly turned around, an innocent smile plastered on his face. "Who, me?"

Tadashi tilted his head to the side, raising a single eyebrow to heaven. "Yes, you." A mint green Converse tapped on the cement floor, which Hiro only noticed because he couldn't meet his brother's eyes.

"That wasn't me."

"That wasn't you?" Tadashi reached into his pocket, pulled out his cell phone, and opened up a certain picture. Hiro leaned closer to get a better look, and felt dread flood through him from the soles of his feet to the tips of his hair. For on Tadashi's phone was a picture of his little brother, a helmet that was clearly way too big for him on his head, obviously going way too fast down Sixth Street.

Even Hiro had the decency to look away, his ears stained scarlet with embarrassment.

"What exactly were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that you keep talking about how great it will be when I finally start driving and I, well, I wanted to try it out."

"So you decided to go down the biggest hill in San Fransokyo." Tadashi's tone was completely flat, no emotion there whatsoever. Hiro looked up, and found him completely deadpanning.

"Well, no. First, I just went around an empty parking lot. Then, after a few weeks of getting a little better-"

"A few weeks?!"

There was the anger. Hiro had been wondering when that would pop up.

"Well, I didn't learn how to pop a wheelie on your moped in one day, 'Dashi."

"You…!"

Hiro winced, wondering when he would ask about the dent, but found to his surprise that there wouldn't be any questioning there.

"Unbelievable. I start taking later classes for _one month_ -I've only been taking them a month, Hiro!-and you do _this_."

"If it makes you feel any better, I didn't hurt myself."

"I can see that." Tadashi let out a sigh of irritation, a frown tugging at his mouth, and walked over to the moped, hand reaching for the edge of the tarp.

"Uh, Tadashi? I think Aunt Cass left you some spicy chicken wings."

The elder Hamada immediately perked up at this. "Did she?"

"Uh, yeah. They're in the fridge."

"I'll have to take them to class tomorrow-I already ate. Sorry, Hiro," he threw over his shoulder, a smirk crossing his lips. "I know you hurt my baby, and I'm going to find out how bad the damage is."

Hiro winced and sat down, waiting for the inevitable tongue-lashing. The tarp came off, and he closed his eyes as a soft gasp hit his ears.

 _Right. Any second now…_

"...Well, it could have been a lot worse."

 _Whoa, what?_

"By the looks of it, the damage is mainly to the body itself and the paint job… Yeesh, Hiro. How many lamp posts did you crash into?"

"Only one. You're not mad?"

Tadashi sighed and turned around, leaning against the red moped. "I'm irritated at the fact that you're such a bonehead, and I'm annoyed that you deliberately ignored me, but no, I'm not mad at you."

"...So you're _not_ going to kill me, then?"

"I've considered it a few times, but I've decided that prison isn't worth it."

Hiro let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "I'm off the hook, then?"

"Oh, no way, knucklehead. You're fixing this."

* * *

"I _told_ you, no more gummy bears!"

"But _Tadashi,_ you _know_ they're my weakness-" Hiro broke off, forcing himself to swallow. "Oh God. That tastes vile."

"It's your fault, you know."

"I'm aware of that, Tadashi."

"Maybe next time you'll consider moderation?"

"That's a pretty big word, Tadashi."

Tadashi let out a sigh, reaching up to ruffle his brother's hair. "It means that you don't down ten bags in one go."

"In that case, certainly not."

"Hold on, stairs." Tadashi held his brother a little tighter as he carried him upstairs. "Try not to spew rainbow all over them?"

"No promises."

"Seriously, I think Fred just about had a freakout when you threw up. He thought that Honey Lemon had given you something and you had superpowers."

"Is that what he thought?" Hiro was barely able to hiss through clenched teeth, pain stabbing through his abdomen. "He didn't notice the…?"

"I had to point them out."

"Nice. I bet that was fun to explain."

The stairs were cleared, and Tadashi leaned into the door, pushing it open and stepping into their room. "Okay, I'm going to set you down, then I'll go and get some water. I'll bet Aunt Cass has some soup on the stove or something.

"Okay, 'Dashi." Hiro closed his eyes and felt himself be set on a bed-probably Tadashi's, it was closest, and besides, his own was covered in a mixture of clothing, machinery and candy wrappers.

Tadashi turned as he stepped out the door, frowning as his little brother curled into a ball, softly moaning in pain. _That kid has a serious sugar problem._ He sighed and quickly went downstairs, searching for something to contain the… _Rainbows? Really? My little brother is quite literally puking up rainbows. I feel like this is a metaphor for something._

Finally, he found a large metal bowl. "Aunt Cass, is it okay if I use this?"

Cass leaned over the counter, stirring chicken soup with one hand. "Hm. Yeah, that's alright. Give Hiro my love, okay?"

"I think you're already doing that," Tadashi replied with a smile, gesturing to the bubbling pot. "Maybe next time he'll think before having ten bags of gummy bears within half an hour."

"Hah! I did worse when I was his age," Cass said with a wink. "Stress eating."

"I don't doubt it."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

Tadashi opted not to respond.

As he climbed the stairs to the brother's shared room, he strode through the open door, bowl and a glass of water in hand. "Okay, bud, I've got…" He trailed off as he took in the scene, and forced back a sigh of frustration.

"I...I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"No, no, I know, it's not your fault." Tadashi winced and ran his hand through Hiro's hair. "You feeling any better?"

"Not really."

"Hm. You should probably go and take a bath or something, and in the meantime, I'll attempt to make a dent in the landfill that is your bed. I'll change my sheets later, okay?"

Hiro looked up at his brother eyes, wide with guilt. "I'm really, really sorry. I'll help-"

"Nonsense, you're sick. You go and get cleaned up."

For several seconds, the younger Hamada didn't respond, then slowly got to his feet, swaying slightly as he stepped into the bathroom and turned the faucet on.

As he did so, Tadashi turned to the wreck that was their room and reached up, popping the joints in his neck.

 _Okay, this might take a while._

Two hours later, Hiro was curled up in his own bed, Tadashi patiently waiting by his side for him to fall asleep.

"You can go to bed now, Tadashi. I'm feeling much better."

"That's Aunt Cass' soup talking. Anyways, I was going to stay up a little later anyways. I just need to make sure you're okay."

"I am, though."

Tadashi glanced at the glass of water on the desk next to him, which was still empty-it had been refilled several times, as Hiro seemed severely dehydrated somehow. "I know. I'm overprotective. But if I weren't, I wouldn't be me, now would I?"

"You're a nerd," Hiro mumbled, pulling his blankets closer.

"Oh, I'm so much more than that. I'm _your_ nerd," Tadashi teased, reaching out for the thousandth time to try and fix his brother's hair.

"...I'm sorry."

"What? About my bed? Don't worry about it. I was going to wash the sheets soon, anyways."

There wasn't a reply, and for a moment, Tadashi considered perhaps giving his brother a hug, until he heard the soft snoring. He allowed himself a small smile, and got up from his position on the bed. "Good night, Hiro."

* * *

"C'mon, Tadashi, we still have time!"

From his position on the couch, the elder Hamada slowly lowered his book. "Hiro, it's about to rain."

"No, it won't. It'll start raining in about an hour from my estimate, and if I am correct-and I usually am-we still have about half an hour to go and hang out on campus."

Tadashi sighed. "Hiro, you may be a genius, but you suck at meteorology. It's going to rain very soon, and you'll catch cold."

Hiro glared at his brother, then got up and walked into the other room. There were a few blissful moments of silence, then a sharp cry as the younger Hamada tackled his brother from behind, flipping over the back of the couch and sprawling over the book he was holding.

"What the-?!"

"Take me to campus with you."

"No."

"I'll just sit on your book until then."

"Hiro, this is one of my textbooks, and I can't afford for you to rip it."

Hiro did not respond, except to pick up a pillow and shove it in his brother's face.

"Hrfrm."  
"What? I don't understand pillow-speak, Tadashi. Take me to campus or I'll smother you."

Tadashi reached up and took the pillow off his face. "Why can't this wait until tomorrow?"

"Have you ever known me to have patience?"

"I just took you there this morning!"

"Don't care."

Resigned, Tadashi finally pushed Hiro off of his lap, brushed off his textbook, and got to his feet. "Okay, bonehead. Go get your helmet."

In response, Hiro leaned over and picked up said helmet. "Already covered."

Ten minutes later, two sopping wet figures entered the darkened cafe, moved into the living room, and flopped on the couch.

"What did I say?"

"You said that it would rain."

"And?"

"I should have listened."

Tadashi glanced over at the soaking wet teen, and rumpled his dripping hair. "Go take a shower, Hiro. You smell like a wet dog."

"That might be because I was riding a moped with one."

"Ha, ha."

Hiro stuck out his tongue at his smug brother, then ran up the stairs to get rid of the wet clothing.

It wasn't until he stepped into the shower that he realized Tadashi hadn't said 'I told you so'.

* * *

Hiro knew better. He was, after all, a genius. Even so, it didn't take a genius to know that illegal botfighting wasn't the best way to be spending your Friday night.

It wasn't because he needed the money-he really didn't. Aunt Cass' cafe was more than sufficient for the family's needs, and really, he didn't have a ton of things he especially _wanted_. Well, that is besides the killer actuators he had seen the other day but, hey, he could probably build those himself.

No, the real reason Hiro was in an alley at 2 in the morning was because he was bored out of his mind.

School was never hard, but it was at least something to do. The legal age to work was 16, and due to the fact that he still had two years to go, he spent most of his days moping around the house, waiting for something to do.

To say it frankly, Hiro was bored.

Tadashi had suggested college, but really, there wouldn't be a huge point to that-it would just be teaching him stuff he already knew.

So here he was, impatiently waiting for the current match to be over so that he could move in.

"Who dares to challenge Yama?!"

And there was his cue.

"M-may I try?"

The crowd parted at the small, tentative voice, and Hiro stepped through, his bangs falling into his eyes, an innocent, timid expression pulling his eyebrows together and pulling his eyes wide open in a look that could make almost anyone want to pinch his cheeks.

That is, unless you were:

A. A seasoned botfighter.

B. Angry with him.

C. Tadashi.

"I… I have a bot. I built it myself." Hiro held up the unassuming magnetic bearing servos, knowing that despite everyone's laughter it could take down any robot in the alley.

"Beat it, kid. House rules: You've gotta pay to play."

 _Moment of truth._

In response, Hiro pulled out a wad of cash, hoping that it would be enough to entice the older man to play. You never really knew- he could just order his goons to take it. It wasn't unheard of and had happened before, but hopefully he wouldn't consider it a waste of time.

"Prepare your bot, _Zero._ "

 _Like I haven't heard that before. Ha, ha._

* * *

"This is your fault."

"I'm sorry, Tadashi."

'You should be, you got us arrested!"

"How many times to I have to say sorry?"

"You put a blemish on my record. I was a good noodle!"

At this, Hiro fell silent. In all honesty, despite the nervous grin he was giving his brother, he was really and truly penitent.

"A good noodle?"

"Yes!"

"Like an egg noodle?"

"I suppose…?"

"So you're an egg head."

From somewhere behind the elder Hamada, one of the gang members started laughing.

"That wasn't funny."

"Shut up, I'm hilarious."

Tadashi let out a long breath of frustration. "You do realize that we are in jail?"

"Yes."

"Okay, good, just making sure that you understand."

"I did say that I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't get us out of jail, Hiro."

Hiro considered putting on his best cute face, but at the pure fury and humiliation at being put in jail-Tadashi of all people was the last person one would expect to be in here-on his brother's face brought a genuine spark of guilt to his expression.

This had not gone unnoticed, and as the younger Hamada scuffed the floor with his shoe, he heard a soft sigh from across the cell.

"I know you're sorry. And I forgive you-but as soon as we get out of here, you're making this up to me."

"I know."

* * *

"Nothing. I have no ideas. Stupid. Useless. Empty. Brain."

Each sentence was punctuated by a loud _thunk_ as Hiro's head hit the desk. If there were such a thing as Inventor's Block, Hiro would have had it.

"Washed up at 14." Tadashi clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, turning a page. "So sad."

"I'm done for! I have no ideas."

At this, Tadashi put the book down, anticipating the next words and getting up.

"That's it-I'm never getting in."

"Hey."

Hiro turn to look, but found himself forcibly turned around anyways, his face level with his brother's.

"I'm not giving up on you."

Two seconds later, the younger Hamada was hanging upside down by his legs, crying out in surprise as he was shaken around.

"What are you doing?!"

"Shaking things up! Use your big brain to find a way out!"

By now, Hiro was very used to his brother's odd ways of cheering him up-not that he disliked it, although he could do with less of the shaking.

"Look for a new angle."

 _You mean a 180 degree angle? Because that appears to be the angle I have come to. I'm upside down. You are holding me upside down. This is a very uncomfortable position._

Resigned, Hiro let himself relax, looking around the room and trying not to feel lightheaded from the blood rushing to his admittedly rather large head.

His eyes alighted on the small robot resting on his desk.

And he got it.

* * *

The sky was gray. Overwhelmingly so, and to the point that it was cliche.

The rest of the funeral party had left, leaving only a woman in black, holding an umbrella over her head and that of a small teenager, his black hair pushed out of his face for once, because that was the way that he would have wanted it.

Tadashi had never been able to convince his brother to brush his hair, not once. He would sometimes do it himself, once having to pin the younger boy to the ground as he ran a hairbrush through the bird's nest on his head. After he had grown older, and Hiro would be just a little bit too fast for Tadashi to catch, he'd give up and let him run off.

Hiro's hair was brushed now, and that carried more significance than his Aunt realized. Because it hadn't been his older brother who had brushed it.

Over the past week, Hiro hadn't cried, not once. He wasn't hurt inside, he wasn't grieving.

Because overall, he just felt… numb. Empty.

This was _wrong,_ he shouldn't be standing by a graveside. He should be at home, doing something dumb like putting rocket boots on the cat, just to see his brother's expression.

Inside, he knew that he should have been in pain. It would come later, but for now, all he could feel was the idea that this was wrong.

 _Why is it always raining? Where was this rain a week ago?_

"Honey, it's time to go."

But he didn't want to go, now until he could grasp why he felt so empty inside.

"I'll catch up later, Aunt Cass."

And so the woman in black left, the wind whipping her hair around her face, looking over her shoulder at the young man in the black coat.

And Hiro was alone.

There was silence for several moments, and finally, he reached out to touch the cold stone that lay set into the ground, six feet above an empty coffin. The cold stone that was where his brother's head should have been, that would never be able to replace the black head of hair he would always mess up just for the sake of irritating him.

"I'm sorry that it's raining. I can't help but feel like this is the most cliche ending… And I honestly don't even know what to say right now."

The headstone didn't reply-not that he had expected it to.

"I guess I should be crying right now, begging for you to come back, but… I don't know why, but I don't feel like crying. I keep feeling like I'll go home, and you'll be standing in our room, then you'll scold me for leaving my laundry everywhere. I'll stick my tongue out at you or something, then I'll go to bed way too early with a bag or two of gummy bears. I expect it, then I feel empty when it doesn't happen."

The words, overall, just felt hollow, as hollow as the speaker. He felt as if he were trying to fill the place where a young man should have been standing, his cap placed over his perfectly styled hair-which was really sort of redundant, and contradictory. Why would you style your hair if you were just going to put a hat over it anyways?

"I feel like I'm rambling. I'm sorry, Tadashi."

At this, the dam finally broke, and words spilled out of Hiro rather than tears, because he couldn't cry, he couldn't cry, _he couldn't cry._

" _Do you remember that time that I took a joyride on your moped, then totaled it?"_

He allowed himself a soft laugh as he remembered the dread, the clammy palms as he imagined his brother's horrified reaction.

" _I thought you would kill me… But you didn't."_

" _Do you remember the time I ate ten bags of gummy bears in the span of a half an hour, then threw them up all over your bed? I thought you'd hate me, but you didn't."_

Memory after bittersweet memory poured out, and Hiro fell to his knees, clutching at the wet grass.

" _Do you remember the time that I wanted to go and hang out on the SFIT campus, and it rained, just like you said it would? I thought you'd say 'I told you so', but you didn't."_

" _Do you remember the day I went botfighting, and I wasn't being careful and so we got arrested? I was so sure you'd hate me, but you didn't."_

" _Or do you remember the time I was completely out of ideas, and was on the verge of throwing in the towel?"_

Hiro felt himself take in a sharp breath, pain filling his chest and squeezing his eyes shut.

" _I thought you'd give up on me, just like I had, but you didn't."_

By now he was shaking from the effort it took not to give in to the tears that were threatening to spill down his cheeks, but he had started to talk and he had to finish.

" _I…"_

He took another shuddering breath and sat up, staring at the stone. He forced himself to give the carved words a small smile that vanished as soon as it had come.

" _Yeah, there were a lot of things that you didn't do. But… You put up with me. You protected me, and you loved me. Because that's the way you are."_

Hiro blinked, and the floodwaters broke through, dripping from his eyes to the tip of his nose, silently streaming down his face.

" _There were… There were a lot… a lot of things that I wanted to make up to you… When we got back from the SFIT showcase."_

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up into a pair of green eyes, then forced himself to get up, let himself be pulled into his aunt's embrace. She gently ran a hand through his hair, then put her arm around his shoulders, leading him away.

* * *

 _...But you didn't._


	2. Daylight

**_[Hello, there! It's midnight, so I will keep it simple._**

 ** _This is a Sick!Hiro AU. It isn't Scorched, so no worries about reading that._**

 ** _This story is based off of Daylight by Maroon 5, and I would suggest you turn it on a listen while you read._**

 ** _I hope you enjoy!]_**

* * *

 _ **Daylight**_

* * *

" _Hey there, little brother."_

 _Hiro smiled as his older brother leaned over to ruffle his hair. "Hey."_

" _How are you feeling?"_

" _Like crap, but I guess that's normal. Being sick does that to a person."_

 _Tadashi briefly frowned, then eased into the chair by Hiro's bed. "I can imagine. What did the doctor say?"_

" _Oh, you know. The normal." His voice rose to mimic a high falsetto. "'Oh, you're such a good patient, Hiro. You're absolutely brilliant and the fact that you're in this crummy hospital really says a lot about how unfair this is.'"_

" _I doubt she actually said that," Tadashi chuckled. "I mean, it doesn't make it any less true, but I don't think she said it."_

" _Can I just say that I hate hospitals?"_

" _I think everyone hates hospitals. Even the people who work in them."_

" _I think you mean especially the people who work in them."_

 _Tadashi let out a soft laugh and pulled a few books out of his satchel._

" _I'm never going to understand why you carry around a purse."_

" _It's not a purse."_

" _It's a man purse."_

" _It's not a man-purse. It's a satchel."_

" _Man-purse," Hiro replied in a soft sing-song voice. "And nothing you say will be able to convince me otherwise."_

" _Whatever." Tadashi put the first few books on the small table by Hiro's bed, taking hold of the last one. "Is it alright if I study?"_

" _Of course. I'm taking time out of your day anyways, I-"_

" _You can stop right there," the elder Hamada said quickly, cutting his brother off. "It's no problem for me to come by and see you, Hiro._ _ **No problem at all,**_ " _Tadashi said in a soft, kind voice so as to cheer his ill brother up._

" _...Sorry."_

" _No need to apologize. You're going to be out of here soon anyways."_

 _Hiro nodded thoughtfully. "What do you think it is?"_

" _Well, it came on pretty quick, and lymph nodes-especially the ones in your neck-generally swell when you have a throat infection," Tadashi said slowly and thoughtfully. "And your throat has been sore for days."_

" _And the tiredness?" Even now, Hiro was pushing back sleep._

" _You're just recovering from the infection."_

" _Okay," Hiro replied slowly, rubbing his eyes. The movement was caught, and Tadashi smiled, getting up to sit at the edge of Hiro's bed._

" _Get some sleep, knucklehead."_

* * *

Tadashi was jolted awake, sleep still dusting his eyelids as he propped his head up on his hand.

"Hey, nerd."

Tadashi's eyes were pulled to the unfamiliar figure in his hospital bed, blinking once, twice in surprise, then sadness,.

He knew that his dream had been a memory from two entire years ago, and that things were very different now, but…

He could never really imagine getting used to seeing the bundle of energy that had jumped on top of him come Christmas morning when they were kids, the bright eyed kid wonder with the knack for anything mechanical, the tiniest high school graduate with the gap toothed grin, like... this.

"Hey, knucklehead."

Weary cognac brown eyes looked into Tadashi's, a soft smile tugging at his brother's lips. "Have a good nap?"

"Not really," Tadashi confessed, still not entirely comprehending the bags underneath Hiro's eyes, the bruises forming along his arms from the IVs, the small lumps that had formed along his neck.

Hiro's head tilted to the side, taking in the frustrated scowl, the confusion in his expression. "What's eating you?"

"Just the usual," the elder Hamada replied, letting out a soft sigh. He glanced down at the fallen textbook for his medical school-the one he hated with every fiber of his being, the one that he had tried so, so hard to get into. "Assignments. Studying. I hate it."

Hiro frowned, and his brother immediately felt guilty at the spark of sadness. "The studying, that is. I mean, I wouldn't give up being a doctor for the world, but…"

"Tadashi, can you promise me something?"

He blinked in surprise at being cut off, then nodded immediately. "Of course."

"You don't even know what it is yet."

 _Oh, but Hiro, you know that I'd promise you anything._

"Gummy bears?"

"Not gummy bears," Hiro replied with a soft laugh. "I don't think the doctors would thank you for that. They were pretty upset last time we snuck out."

"Then continue."

The younger Hamada took a deep breath, his lungs aching as he did so. "Promise me that you'll quit med school after all this is over."

And Tadashi dropped the textbook, cardboard cover hitting the ground with a thunk.

"...I… Why? Hiro, I hate to be selfish, but being a doctor is my dream."

"No, Tadashi, it isn't." Hiro winced, the strain it took to sit up almost being too much. "Your dream is to be a Robotics Engineer, and we both know it. You're good at robotics. You enjoy anything to do with it. This… this 'dream' of being a doctor isn't you."

Tadashi immediately shook his head. "I don't know where you got this idea, Hiro, but it is."

"Tadashi, stop it!"

The elder Hamada fell silent as the frustrated tears registered. He slowly moved to take his brother's hand, gently stroking his fingers. "...Okay. Continue."

"You aren't going to help anybody as a doctor. You're not good at it. You don't want to do it."

Tadashi didn't argue this time, letting his brother speak, silently contemplating. "I want to do this."

"No, you don't. You just feel like you don't have a choice. Your passion is robotics, and I don't want you to give up your dream for me," Hiro was barely able to whisper, the toll of intense emotion overtaking him. "You deserve better. You can't be amazing as a doctor. As a robotics engineer, you can change the world."

Tadashi didn't speak for several moments, then gently squeezed his brother's hand. "But… Hiro, _you're_ my world."

"I know."

"If there's even the most remote chance my being a doctor could help you…"

Hiro let out a soft breath of frustration, then fell back into his pillow. "I don't expect you to give up on me now."

"Good, because I don't intend to."

"All I want is for you to promise me that after it's all over-after this is done with, you'll give up on this ridiculous notion that you'll be a doctor and do something with your life."

Tadashi didn't answer, because as he looked down at his 14 year old brother, he didn't see the annoyed teenager he had expected.

He saw a weary, old soul, done with his older brother giving up on his own happiness for the sake of his own, done with the needles inserted in his arm, done with practically living in the hospital, done with what they had thought was a sore throat but turned out to be Stage 3 CLL.

"Hiro, you know that I'd do anything for you."

* * *

Tadashi winced at the sight of Hiro's hair askew. Not messed up or tangled, as it usually was, but askew-and Hiro didn't even seem to care.

"Hiro, your hair..."

"Hm?" He looked up, brow momentarily furrowed as he reached up to straighten the offending locks. "That's better. Now what were we saying?"

"I was asking whether the doctors wanted to do a marrow transplant."

Hiro's eyes unfocused for a second, then he snapped back to reality. "I'm sorry, I just... No, they didn't."

"Okay. Aunt Cass will be glad to hear that," Tadashi replied, flashing his brother a grin. "You're always so wiped out after one of those."

"The doctors say that there isn't a point to them any more."

"Not...?" He made a small questioning noise as he raised an eyebrow, reaching for the glass of water by Hiro's bedside. "You don't need them?"

"They're giving up."

Glass shattered onto the tile.

"Hiro, please tell me that you're joking."

"There haven't been any results. If anything, I've gotten worse. They... They've been holding out hope for too long now anyways." He was stumbling over the words, eyes wide with some unrecognized emotion.

"They can't do this."

"Tadashi, they can. It's been a long time coming."

"Hiro, you're 14, they can't just let you get worse like this!"

"It's not their place to say it to me, but I could tell even before they told me that I'm not going to get better, even with treatment."

"That's crap. Hiro-"

"Tadashi, I'm sorry, but there isn't anything else they can do. They said that they can keep me on pain medication and make sure that I'm comfortable, but other than that..."

"I won't let it happen."

Hiro's eyes flashed with pain, and he fell silent, unable to look at his brother's determined expression and break his heart.

 _Tadashi, it's not your choice. I'm already long gone._

* * *

One year ago, the doctors had looked into his brown eyes, and had forced themselves to tell him that nothing more could be done. One year ago, the estimated time his baby brother was given was two months.

With every passing day, Tadashi would walk into his brother's room, and feel his heart simultaneously rise and sink just a little bit. Hiro was still alive-he was still alive, despite the predictions.

And he would wither as cognac eyes met russet, one set barely kept open by coffee and the other only open because he could never sleep when Tadashi was here. It hurt to know that the only reason Hiro forced himself to wake up every morning was because he couldn't stand for his brother to be alone. It hurt to see him so completely exhausted, so defeated by the energy it took to keep breathing.

"Hey, knucklehead."

Hiro's fingers twitched in his own, brown eyes barely open as they met his brother's.

One year ago, Hiro had made him promise to give up on being a doctor when it was over.

"...Hey."

"I've been failing all my classes." Tadashi let out a soft chuckle that he didn't mean, lifting Hiro's hand so that it was clasped in both of his own. "You were right. I'm a crap doctor."

"You are."

"I'm not quitting, though. Not yet. I still have to find a cure for leukemia."

There was a brief flash of sadness in his brother's eyes- _You're never going to give up until it's over, are you? Even when I'm clearly dying, you can't let me go._

"I will be the one to find it, Hiro. I'm not losing hope."

"Tadashi."

"I have to."

"Tadashi."

"I'm not losing you, Hiro. You may have given up on yourself, but-"

"Tadashi."

He hadn't realized that the tears were dribbling down his cheeks and dropping onto the hand clenched in his own until Hiro found the energy to wipe them away.

"Tadashi, please. I need you to let me go."

The elder Hamada's hand flew to take his brother's, pressing it to his cheek. "I… I can't."

Hiro didn't respond, except to slide his fingertips over his brother's cheekbone, gently wiping away the saltwater gathered there.

"I can't let you die."

"There isn't anything you can do, Tadashi. I accepted it a long time ago, I think it's time you did, too."

"And if you hadn't accepted it? If you'd decided that you'd fight it?"

Hiro's eyes, usually almost blank, were wide with the sudden sadness. "Tadashi, what do you think I've been doing? I was supposed to die ten months ago. I've been exhausted, physically and mentally, just trying to stay alive. I haven't given in-I've been fighting for every breath, every word. I live for the hours that you spend by my side."

Tadashi didn't speak, incapable of words for several seconds. "You said that you accepted it."

"I have. The only reason I'm going through this hell is because _you_ haven't. I'm fighting for _you_ , Tadashi. It's killing me, but I'm doing this for you."

"If you're trying to get me to give up on you, that isn't helping."

"I'm not."

"You're essentially saying that the only reason you're alive is because I want you to live."

"No, the only reason I'm forcing myself to stay alive is because you can't live without me."

Tadashi's silent tears flowed with a renewed vigor, because what could he say? It was true-over the three, almost four years since Hiro had been diagnosed with CLL, he had been incapable of getting through the day without paying his baby brother a visit.

Hiro was 15 now. And while Tadashi knew that he was a teenager, he had already graduated high school for Pete's sake, he was still a kid.

He shouldn't have to die.

"I guess that's true."

"I'm not asking you to give up on me, Tadashi. I just… I want you to be able to live when I'm gone."

"Please don't say that."

"Why not?" A year ago, it would have been said with a frustrated shout, almost a temper tantrum because Tadashi was so _stubborn_ , but now is was a desperate whisper.

"It makes it more real."

"Tadashi, look at me."

He hadn't been able to meet his brother's eyes, but now the med school student looked up and forced himself to look at him.

"I'm dying. I'm going to die soon, there isn't any getting around it. It sucks. God knows that it sucks. I shouldn't have leukemia, I shouldn't have to force myself not to die every morning. I shouldn't be terrified that one day you'll come to my room and I won't respond. I shouldn't _want_ to die, Tadashi."

And there it was. The secret, fervent desire of Hiro's heart. It hit Tadashi like a knife, stabbing him in the chest and twisting, because for all of his airs, Hiro was finished. He wasn't just tired. He wasn't just defeated. He was completely and utterly done, not with life's difficulties, with life itself. He _wanted_ death. He _wanted_ it to be over.

"...How long have you wanted this?" It barely came out as a murmur, a strangled sound that was more a sob than a question.

"About a year and a half now."

"You want to let go?"

Hiro didn't acknowledge the question at first, distracted by the pure pain radiating from his brother's eyes. His fingertips twitched at the feeling of warm tears trickling alongside them, and let out a soft sigh. "Yes."

And the dam broke. At this, Tadashi got up from his position on the chair. The tears ran unrestrained down his face, and he dropped everything to move to the hospital bed, paying no mind to the machine hooked up to his brother. He managed to dodge them all as he dove under the sheets, arms wrapped firmly around Hiro's small frame and pulling him into his chest.

They didn't move for several minutes, Tadashi unwilling to let go for fear that Hiro might give in, Hiro unable to let go because he couldn't leave his brother on his own, not yet.

"I won't let you."

"Tadashi... I'm so sorry. But it's not your choice."

* * *

Tadashi lay back, glancing over to the partition every so often, in hopes that perhaps he would see a familiar head of black hair, a set of cognac eyes that mirrored their mother's.

Each time, he was disappointed.

He had gone to see Hiro earlier that day, and found him even more quiet than he usually was. Whether it was because he was so tired, of because he just didn't have a lot on his mind, he wasn't sure. Either way, he found himself missing the bright presence of his little brother more than ever, until he found himself crawling under the covers of the other bed, holding Hiro's pillow close. Tadashi gently stroked the dusty fabric, wondering if Hiro would be too big for his bed if he came home, when his phone started ringing.

And his heart sunk.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Hamada, this is the San Fransokyo General Hospital. We regret to inform you that your brother is currently in Intensive Care, due to his experiencing cardiac arrest earlier today."

The phone slipped from his fingers, a soft clatter filling the silence of the room as he ran down the stairs.

"Honey, what-"

"Aunt Cass, Hiro's in the ICU."

"What ha-"

"Cardiac arrest, can't stop to talk!"

Cass didn't even bother trying to stop him, opting to leave the counter where she was washing dishes and drag him into the car. "Come on, we're both going. Buckle up."

Tadashi was more than happy to oblige, remaining silent the entire ride to the hospital, heart racing in his chest.

 _Please, please be alive. For me. Hiro, please._

As soon as the car came to a stop, Tadashi leapt out of the car, sprinting to the door and yanking it open. After quickly getting the information as to where he was from the familiar face of one of the nurses, he was quickly lead to a small room in the ICU, Aunt Cass struggling to keep up.

When he stepped into the room, the sight that assaulted his eyes made him stumble backward in shock.

"Tadashi, honey, calm down."

He quickly shook off the shock of the ventilation machines, the numerous machines hooked up to his little brother and immediately moved to the bedside.

A pair of cognac eyes fluttered open as Tadashi's fingers slid inbetween his own.

"...Tadashi?"

"Yeah. I'm here, little brother."

Hiro's head fell to the side, his chest barely moving. "You came."

"Of course I did. I couldn't leave you here alone."

"...Tadashi, I'm dying."

He choked back the tears that were filling his russet eyes, and rubbed at the offending sensors. "I know."

"Are you going to be okay?"

He wanted to lie. He so desperately wanted to lie and say that yes, he would be alright, that he would be able to move on. But Hiro would never be able to stand for dishonesty, especially not now. "I…" Tadashi trailed off, then continued. "No. I'm going to miss you."

"Me too."

Aunt Cass stood in the doorway, tears flowing unrestrained down her face, and came to sit by Hiro's bedside with her nephews. She was barely able to lean over and whisper the news to her eldest nephew, the news that the doctor had given her. She silently prayed that Hiro wouldn't hear.

But he did. "I have until dawn?"

And then they all broke down. The silent tears of their aunt turned to strangled sobs, her arms wrapped around her knees as she drew her legs into herself. Tadashi's stoic outlook collapsed as the saltwater trickled down his cheeks, gasping for breath, and leaned over to hold his brother close, trying to keep the grief at bay.

Hiro was almost hesitant to speak, knowing that they might be the last words he'd say, that it might be too soon. "...Stay with me?"

Tadashi didn't need to be asked twice. He wouldn't have even needed to be asked once. He moved to lie down by Hiro side, pulling him closer and resting his head on top of the familiar head of black hair. Silence reigned over them, until what had been plaguing their minds for weeks finally came out.

"Please say you'll let me go, Tadashi."

He shifted slightly, looking down into Hiro's eyes, the big, light brown eyes that he had inherited from their mother and had never failed to make him melt. The eyes that even now were dazed with the leukemia that had plagued him for four years. The eyes that were halfway filled with terror, halfway brimming with euphoric relief that it would finally be over, pleading with him to please, please be happy when he was gone.

The eyes that he had never be able to refuse.

Tadashi pulled him closer, gently pressing his lips to Hiro's forehead amidst the tears. "Hiro, you know that I'd do anything for you."

He heard a soft breath of almost pure relief, then felt his brother relax, his breathing soft and slow.

"Please try to stay until morning?"

Hiro shifted just slightly, then nodded, his cold nose brushing Tadashi's collarbone.

"When the daylight comes, I'll have to go."

"I'll be with you until then."

* * *

Aunt Cass was half asleep in the chair beside Hiro's bed, every coherent thought lying somewhere between _He's too young_ and _I don't want him to go._

Tadashi couldn't dream of sleeping, terrified of the consequences. Terrified that he'd wake up and the body lying in his arms would be still, cold, ready to be put to rest.

And Tadashi wouldn't even get to say goodbye.

Hiro had been slipping in and out of consciousness for a while now, sometimes wide awake and praying that Tadashi would be alright, sometimes out cold and dreaming of a life that didn't end in a hospital. Or perhaps a life where the 16 year old had never had to live with leukemia. A life where he would be able to embrace simply living like he had never been able to do since the doctors first said 'cancer'.

But now, at six in the morning, he could feel the black tide coming to claim him, sleep desperate to take him over. And this time, he wouldn't wake up.

"Tadashi?"

"Mhm?"

"I'm going to go to sleep."

"Okay, Hiro."

"...I don't think I'm going to wake up this time, Tadashi."

The russet eyes that had been half shut opened wide and looked down at the teenager, blinking back tears. Hiro had said that he would try to stay until dawn. Even now, the sharp rays of red sunrise were peaking over the horizon, staining the sky gray-orange.

Tadashi had once been afraid of the dark.

But now, it was all that he wanted.

"...Okay."

"I love you, Tadashi."

"I love you, too."

A pair of light cognac eyes closed, black hair rumpled as its owner nuzzled into his brother's chest.

An hour later, the thin chest rose and fell for the last time, and the heart monitor flatlined.

Two single drops of saltwater fell onto Hiro's sleeping face.

And the daylight came.

* * *

 _Here I am, waiting._

 _I'll have to leave soon_

 _Why am I holding on?_

 _We knew this day would come_

 _We knew it all along_

 _How did it come so fast?_

 _This is our last night, but it's late and I'm trying not to sleep_

 _Cause I know, when I wake I'll have to slip away_

 _And when the daylight comes, I'll have to go_

 _So tonight, I'm gonna hold you so close._

' _Cause in the daylight, you'll be on your own_

 _So tonight, I need to hold you so close_

 _Here I am staring at your perfection_

 _In my arms, so beautiful_

 _The sky is getting bright, the stars are burning out_

 _Somebody slow it down_

 _This is way too hard, cause I know_

 _When the sun comes up, I will leave_

 _This is my last glance that will soon be memory_

 _And when the daylight comes I'll have to go_

 _But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close_

 _Cause in the daylight we'll be on our own_

 _But tonight I need to hold you so close_

 _I never want it to stop_

 _Because I don't wanna start all over_

 _Start all over_

 _I was afraid of the dark_

 _But now it's all that I want_

 _All that I want, all that I want_

 _And when the daylight comes I'll have to go_

 _But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close_

 _Cause in the daylight we'll be on our own_

 _But tonight I need to hold you so close_


	3. Happy Birthday, Tadashi!

_**[Hello, readers! This takes place in the Scorched AU, so if you are not familiar with that, I would suggest you go and read my other fanfictions-the first being 'The Little Pieces Falling, Shatter'.**_

 _ **It is also dedicated, and in honor of, my dear friend Tears Fall. Because she is celebrating another birthday.**_

 _ **It is a commonly known fact that having more birthdays helps you to live longer. Have many birthdays, dear readers!]**_

* * *

It had been roughly two months since Tadashi had finally come home for good. There were a few things to get used to-" _Tadashi, get your leg off the kitchen table!"-_ but for the most part, things had settled back into their usual routine.

That is, besides one thing…

* * *

"Okay, the meeting to discuss Tadashi's birthday plans starts now!"

"Hiro, we can understand why you would want to go all out, but…" Honey Lemon trailed off, then started again. "He's been really jumpy, even with all the progress he's been making. Too much might just… You know… Sort of overload him, you know? He'll be overwhelmed."

The younger Hamadas' wide, gap-toothed grin immediately morphed into a somewhat disappointed pout. "I know, I know, but… He's missed two birthdays already. I just felt like we needed to make up for lost time."

"And we should do that, I agree," Wasabi interjected. "But maybe not a huge birthday bash? Maybe, I don't know, a quiet, more intimate get-together sort of thing?"

"Wasabi, your idea of 'making up for lost time' is lame." A pair of almond-shaped cognac-colored eyes lit up with something between amusement and mischief.

"But-"

"Dishonor on you."

"I'm just saying-"

"Dishonor on your cow."

Finally, Wasabi threw his hands up, and leaned back in his chair, giving the 16 year old a glare that could have burned through steel. "Okay, if we aren't doing an enormous birthday bash, then what do you suggest we do instead?"

Stumped for barely a moment, Hiro's grin returned. "Okay. So here's the plan…"

* * *

It was simple enough. There was an unbelievably amazing pizza joint that Tadashi had apparently gone to almost every Saturday with the gang(added to the pizzas that they would order at home, and whenever they had a get-together, Tadashi's pizza consumption rates were much, much higher than they should have been). Hiro had blackmailed GoGo into asking his older brother out, as Tadashi would never have mustered up the courage to ask her.

The couple(Hiro had already planned their wedding) would go out to said pizza joint, and in the meantime, everyone else would be back at the cafe, setting up.

Cass had insisted that she make the cake, but to everyone's dismay, Hiro had insisted that he take over, not only to take the weight off of his aunt's shoulders, but as a labor of love towards his brother.

Also, maybe he had had a few accidents with the staple gun…

...And the sewing machine…

...And the 3D printer…

...Also, his handwriting was crap.

As such, it was either this or be a chaperone on Tadashi's date. Not that he mistrusted his brother. Quite the contrary-he was the most chaste, innocent person he could imagine.

GoGo on the other hand…

The tasks were doled out as such: Wasabi was on the decorations. Which, admittedly, might have been a bad idea, considering that he was micromanaging every single little detail, but all in all, it looked pretty nice.

GoGo was on… well, the date. Obviously. Hiro had given her very strict instructions involving this.

"No hand-holding. When he's taking you back here, don't have your arms around his waist too tightly. No hugging other than driving home. If he offers you his jacket for whatever reason, decline the offer. You don't need to see my brother's forearms. And if you even _think_ about kissing him, GoGo, you will be in a world of pain."

Unfortunately, Hiro wasn't sure she was taking said instructions very seriously, especially considering that puberty was hitting his voice pretty hard, making it crack very, very often. He sounded, in short, like a chipmunk.

But more on that another time.

Honey Lemon was in charge of the theater. They intended to go straight to a movie after the initial merrymaking(which consisted of presents, cake, those little kazoo-type party thingies with the paper… Hiro had thought fireworks, but all considered, decided against it. Too many bad experiences with fire), and she was in charge of finding the perfect movie, the perfect theater, getting good seats in advance, etc. Honey Lemon may not have been filthy rich like Fred, but apparently fluttering eyelashes underneath glitter-green eyeshadow work wonders.

Fred was in charge of punch and other beverages. According to him, Heathcliff had an absolutely incredible punch recipe, involving raspberry sorbet, candied lemon twists, and a few other things. After the party and movie, Hiro and Aunt Cass would head home while they headed back to Fred's house for the final events of the night. Unfortunately(although Tadashi would disagree), Hiro was not yet 21, so…

Aunt Cass went around with snacks and boosted morale. "Those decorations look amazing, Wasabi!" "Those sound like perfect seats!" "Saffron, Fred? How fancy!"

And, of course, Hiro, the only terrible chef in the family, was on the cake.

* * *

"Hiro, honey, you put the eggs in first."

"What happens if you put the flour in first?"

"Oh dear…" Cass resisted the urge to cover her face with flour-covered hands, trying first not to strangle her nephew, then herself. "You didn't?"

"Uh… No… But hypothetically?"

"Remind me why you couldn't have just gotten a box cake mix, Hiro?"

Hiro frowned, brushing flour off of his now-ruined t-shirt. He made to gesture with his spare hand, but somehow forgetting that he had swapped hands, he used the one holding the whisk-thus splattering chocolate cake batter in their faces.

"...Oops. Aunt Cass, I live above a cafe. You are a baker. Both Tadashi and I have gotten so used to cake made from scratch, that we view boxed cake as blasphemy almost."

Aunt Cass silently reached up to wipe chocolate off her face, fighting the urge to lick her fingers. The first reason being that it was a minor form of stress eating, the second reason being that she did not want to be poisoned by whatever godforsaken creation Hiro had whipped up this time.

"I think your brother would understand. That is, just so long as you told him that you had made the cake…"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're a crap chef."

"Agreed," a voice called out from downstairs, sounded all too similar to Wasabi.

"No one asked you, Wasabi," Hiro growled, almost to himself.

"You're not the best," Honey Lemon shouted tentatively(how one can shout tentatively I do not know, don't ask me).

"Remember when you set the microwave on fire?"

" _Fred!_ "

"Just a reminder."

Satisfied that her nephew-the nephew that she really viewed as her son in all but blood, and as a surrogate mother, it was her responsibility to remind him of his limits-knew how much she doubted he would pull this off, Aunt Cass put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I'm right here if you need help. Don't you dare hesitate to ask for help," she said, eyes narrowing. "Don't you dare, because I do not want you burning down my kitchen. And have fun!" The suspicious leer vanished, replaced by her usual bubbly smile, and she disappeared downstairs.

* * *

"How long until he calls for help?"

"Three minutes. Four tops."

"How much are you willing to bet?"

"I have some money left over in the tips jar."

"And I'm rich. Fifty?"

"Done."

* * *

"Okay, gently… gently… _Crap!_ "

Hiro forced himself not to swear as half the container of cocoa powder tipped into the bowl.

"It's alright, everything's alright, it'll just be extra chocolatey, right? Cocoa powder is just dried out, powdered chocolate… And it's chocolate cake, right?" To reassure himself as the cocoa powder was churned into the rest of the batter, he reached into the cocoa powder container, coating his fingertips with the dark substance, then stuck them into his mouth.

Barely half a second later, the ground of the kitchen was occupied by a massive amount of flour, eggshells, sprinkles of cocoa powder here and there, and a 16 year old prodigy who was on his knees coughing and doing his best not to throw up.

* * *

"So then he said, 'You can't, Tadashi! We can't wear dark colors, it would mess with the aesthetic!'"

GoGo forced back an uncharacteristic giggle. "What about Batman?"

"That's what I said!" Tadashi broke off into a round of soft laughter, reminding his companion yet again how much he had changed since she'd seen him as the Sukochi. The dark, raspy laughter was gone, replaced by the bell-like chuckles that she had grown fond of before he'd disappeared.

Her gaze traveled upward as her date-it was so weird considering the fact that she'd finally asked her long time crush out on a date, this was the sort of thing that only happened to other people, and more often in fanfiction-ran a hand through his shaggy hair.

Catching her eye, Tadashi shook his head, smiling. "Yeah, I need to get it cut, don't I? I'm starting to look like Hiro."

"Except Hiro's hair is all black, while yours…"

"Makes me look like a punk rock star," the elder Hamada finished, as GoGo reluctantly nodded. "Nah, it's alright. I know I look weird."

"Not that weird," GoGo replied, almost to herself, and immediately looked away, a light pink blush creeping across her cheeks.

" _And most of all, GoGo, if you even_ _ **think**_ _about kissing my brother, you will be in for a world of pain."_

 _Sorry, Hiro, looks like I just broke Rule #1. Definitely thinking about it._

* * *

"Well, Miss Hamada, looks like you owe me 50."

Mock disgust written across Cass' face, she shook her head and moved to the tip jar, reaching in and counting out 50 dollars before Fred gasped.

"What-? No, I mean donuts."

"What?"

"I meant 50 donuts."

"Well, why didn't you say so?"

"You didn't honestly think I would accept money from any of you guys?" Fred snorted in amusement and rolled his eyes. "I don't need it."

"I dunno, Freddie," Honey Lemon said thoughtfully. "If your wardrobe fund is as seriously underfunded as I suspect it is, you could use the extra money."

The cafe was immediately filled with hissing as the gang grimaced in appreciation of Honey Lemon's burn.

"Dang."

"Need some ice, Fred dear?"

Fred cast Honey Lemon a rueful glance before returning to halfheartedly stirring the punch.

* * *

"Okay. So do you grease the inside of the pan? Why would you do that? It just makes the cake more fatty… I'd better skip that step…" As he frowned at the instructions, Hiro glanced at the gluey, sticky solid sitting in the mixing bowl, then turned it over to gently _plop_ into the pan.

Gently turning the page of the cookbook, he glanced up and did a double take as he caught his reflection in the covering of the microwave.

"Wow… I look like a mess," he said quietly, chuckling to himself and wiping some flour and cocoa powder off of his forehead. "I'm going to need to take a shower after this. Now… Heat to 350, and bake for 45 minutes."

Running a hand through his messy black hair, almost white now with flour, Hiro did some silent calculations in his head.

 _That seems a little long… Hm. Okay, so if I heat it to 450, then it should only have to cook for… maybe half an hour at most? Probably more like 25 minutes. Okay then…_

Proud of his ingenuity, Hiro stood on tiptoe- _curse my height-_ to press the appropriate buttons. Then, as he was waiting for the oven to preheat, a metaphorical lightbulb came to life above his head.

"Why do we need to wait until after the cake is baked to frost it? Wouldn't it save time if we just put the decorations on before it's baked?"

Running to grab the dirty mixing bowl and rinse it out the best be could, Hiro dumped in a stick of frozen butter he had retrieved from the freezer. Piling on way too much powdered sugar and a large amount of milk, Hiro cracked his knuckles, taking hold of the hand mixer and placing it into the bowl.

 _FWOOMP._

A stick of frozen butter sailed across the kitchen to crash into a mug, knocking it to the floor and shattering it. Powdered sugar joined the rest of the ingredients on the ground.

"...Oops."

* * *

GoGo was doing her best to follow Hiro's instructions, and _not_ cling to Tadashi as they navigated the streets on his moped. Instead, she distracted herself with comments about how slow he was going, about how that bike shop on the corner sold her favorite type of gum for whatever reason. Nope, certainly nothing about how the wind ran through her hair like icy fingers, or how it tugged attractively at his own longer than usual hair.

Because normal people don't notice that kind of thing.

That would be an odd thing to notice.

Finally, they pulled up at Tadashi's house. "So, how much are you willing to bet that my brother has the rest of the gang in there?"

"Are we betting with money, or…?"

* * *

Hiro finally stepped out of the bathroom, flour finally out of his hair after much coaxing, and after grabbing a different shirt(the old one would have to be burned, there was no way that much flour, cocoa powder, glue-batter, and butter would get out of there) and jeans, ran down the stairs to check on the cake.

The alarm was less than a minute to going off, and Hiro let out a sigh of relief, inhaling deeply to search for the delightful smell that generally followed one of Aunt Cass' cakes baking.

Unfortunately, this was not one of Aunt Cass' cakes, and so it smelled more like burnt rubber than anything.

Quickly, and with a sinking feeling, Hiro opened the oven.

"...Aunt Cass?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Is the cake supposed to look like a flaming hockey puck?"

"...No, Hiro. No, it is not."

* * *

Tadashi wasn't sure what to expect when he entered the cafe.

Perhaps the lights would be off, then everyone would jump out and yell 'Surprise!'

What he did _not_ expect was the fire alarm suddenly going off.

"What happened?!"

Wasabi was on the other side of the room, bent over double with laughter, while Honey Lemon and Fred were on the verge of collapsing. Cass was barely able to give him a glance before climbing the stairs, a slightly defeated expression adorning her face.

Before anyone else could reply, GoGo sighed heavily.

"Hiro?"

"Yes."

"Did it catch on fire?"

"Yes," Wasabi choked out, tears streaming down his face.

"I'm missing something," Tadashi replied, confused.

"Hiro-"

"Hiro was in charge of lighting candles, and he accidentally dropped a candle on a napkin," Cass called down cheerily.

Suddenly, GoGo and Honey Lemon shared a look of confusion, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Oh, well that explains it," Tadashi replied with a chuckle. "Were you guys-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Cass came half-running down the stairs and gave her nephew a hug. "Happy birthday, sweetie!"

* * *

"Do you think we can save it?"

"...Hiro, honey, I have saved quite a few ruined cakes in my time."

"Is that a yes?"

"The issue is, I'm not entirely sure if this counts as a cake."

The fire was put out, and now, lying in a completely ruined pan, Hiro's creation-which did indeed resemble a hockey puck-lay there, as if mocking it's creator.

In response, Hiro sat down gloomily, running a hand through his newly washed hair with a long breath of frustration. "I guess you were right. I am a crap chef."

"It's nothing to be upset about, honey." Cass smiled as she ruffled her younger nephew's hair. "You're good at almost everything else. You can't be a good chef on top of that-it wouldn't be fair to everyone else."

"I guess you're right," Hiro chuckled, half to himself. "We're presented with an issue, though."

"Hm?"

"Well, we don't have a cake-"

"Got it covered," Cass replied, cutting him off and reaching into the fridge. "I made a backup cake."

At this, Hiro couldn't help but start cracking up. "Was it that obvious that I'd fail?"

"Oh, honey… Yes."

Just then, a familiar voice sounded from the bottom of the stairs. "I'm missing something."

"Hiro-"

Suddenly, Cass called down from the top of the stairs. "Hiro was in charge of lighting candles, and accidentally dropped a candle onto a napkin!"

There was muted laughter, and Cass gave her nephew a smirk. "They don't have to know, now do they?"

"...Thanks, Aunt Cass," Hiro murmured appreciatively.

* * *

After the cake was finished up(it was exquisite, by the way), they were about to head out the door when the sound of a photo snapping emerged from the kitchen. Curious, the brothers quietly climbed the stairs to find Aunt Cass documenting the evidence of the Magnificent Flaming Hockey Puck.

"Aunt Cass? We're leaving… What is that?"

Hiro almost hit his head against the wall in embarrassment, a flush creeping over his ears and turning them scarlet.

"Well, it was supposed to be a cake, but…" Seeing Hiro's discomfort, she smiled to herself and walked downstairs.

"It's mine," Hiro replied softly, once she had left. "I'm the father."

"How very dramatic of you. What happened?"

"I tried to make a cake, and I failed."

And suddenly the tears of laughter made sense. "Oh, so it caught on fire…"

"Yep."

And Tadashi started cracking up. "Oh, Hiro…"

"Shut up right now."

"You tried to make a cake for me?"

"Shut _up_ , Tadashi," Hiro growled softly.

"You're so sweet," Tadashi teased, ruffling fluffy black hair until it was more of a mess than it originally was. "It's the effort that counts, _otouto_."

"I know."

"Although, it helps if it's edible…"

And Tadashi received a punch in the arm.

"Okay, okay, I guess I deserved that," the elder Hamada said quickly to mollify the irritated teenager.

"You did."

Seeing that he was still a little upset, Tadashi wrapped an arm around his brother's shoulders and enveloping him in a rib-crushing hug.

"What's the point of this? Are you trying to suffocate me?"

"Thanks for trying, Hiro," Tadashi teased, finally releasing him.

"No problem," his brother replied, rolling his shoulders back and making sure nothing was broken, although he was laughing softly to himself.

"...Happy birthday, Tadashi."

"Thanks, Hiro."

"...And welcome back."

* * *

 _ **[FLUUUUUFFFFFF. I had forgotten how much I love writing it.**_

 _ **Now, for those of you who also follow my Scorch AU, I am sorry for not updating!**_

 _ **Here are my reasons for not doing so:**_

 _ **1\. I was at camp, where there was no Internet.**_

 _ **2\. I was incapable of going on Google Docs for a few days afterwards because Internet sucks.**_

 _ **3\. I have been in and out of the doctor since Tuesday, due to my having broken my foot. I can't walk normally. ;A;**_

 _ **So, there are my excuses! I'm sorry!**_

 _ **But anyhow, I hope you enjoyed! Please review and let me know how I did!**_

 _ **Oblivious out~! *throws self out of frame]**_


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